Beast Within Our Hearts
by RiderofYggdrasill
Summary: Beorn still believes he is the last skin changer left alive. Naara does too. When she finds him, he is in the company of dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard. Beorn does not care much for the dwarves, but Naara begins to care about one, leading her to convince Beorn to help the dwarves in their quest, and maybe go along. Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
1. Escape from Goblin Town

After a long night of keeping a watchful eye over his land, Beorn wearily returns to his home, slowly changing from great beast to tall man. Night after night he does this; his only company is the light winds that blow from the West, whispering in his ears, ruffling his heavy coat. Tonight it brought with it the stench of Wargs and Orcs. As he walks towards his abode, he begins to slowly change back into a man. He notices a light flickering in his home. The Dwarves he chased earlier were now resting there, no doubt stinking up the place, he thought.

Finally, he is home. Still exhausted from his long night, he breathes heavily; his large chest puffing out with each inhale. He surveys the small home for a moment, but he is too fatigued to shoo the dwarves away. A shy Hobbit pretends to sleep in the hay; he watches carefully to make sure the large man does not spot him awake. The Hobbit's gaze follows Beorn to a small room, where the tired protector shuts the door and finally rests his head.

Deep in the dungeons of Goblin Town, a creature lurks in the mucky corner. She is the last of the skinchangers alive, she thinks. She is definitely the only one still imprisoned. Naara's aggression had lead the Orcs to be rid of her as sport. The two scars on her shoulder blades were the only reminders of the wings that the Orcs had ripped away from her. Now, all she was good for was her Dragon's fire, to help build the fires that would in turn help the Goblins create the machines of great terror that they loved to make.

She had been thrown in a dungeon years ago, and only let out once a day to start the fires. Just one exhale and the entire inside of the mountain was on fire. Restrained by chains, she could never turn far enough to either side to burn those bastards alive.

He cell was guarded at all hours by a platoon of 30 or more goblins, ready with a large cauldron of cold water right above her door. But tonight, a huge commotion began. She wasn't sure what or who had entered the mountain, but it or they had slain the Goblin King and all of his subordinates were now in a confused frenzy, going after whatever or whomever it was and chasing them out of the mountain.

This was her chance. She set fire to the door, melting the iron bars that held it in place. With one swift kick, the fragile door was now a pile of firewood, slowly turning to ash. She followed the sounds of battle cries, hoping it would lead to an exit. The sounds seemed to be fading downward, so she began to carefully climb down a wall.

Once at the bottom, she began to listen carefully to know which direction to go. Once she found the direction, she lightly blew fire down a strange walkway, to make sure it was safe. After so many years in this dark mountain, however, her eyes had accustomed to the darkness. At every fork she would stop nd listen, then she would continue down the path she believed was the way out.

She began to pick up a heart-wrenching cry, like that of a child who had lost his mother at the market. As it became louder, she knew she was approaching whatever pitiful creature inhabited this part of the mountain. She noticed a skinny, grey figure, frantically running in circles on all fours. He was cursing someone named Bagginses. Suddenly, a wizard stood at the end of a walkway, urging some others to hurry towards the exit. The pale creature clung to a wall in hopes that he would not be seen.

Once gone, the strange creature began to look frustrated. At the same time, Naara thought she saw the walls of the narrow walkway become distorted for a moment, as if the wind was visible. But there was no wind down here. There was nothing down here but a creature and his solitude. Again he cursed this "Bagginses," then began his way back. She would soon be discovered so she decided to momentarily blind the creature with her fire. As the flames became too bright for him, he shielded his eyes and The skinchanger was able to escape.

She decided to get as far away from the mountain and it's recently escaped visitors. As she began to run, hiding every once in a while to avoid being seen; she came across a group of dwarves and the wizard. They were yelling at each other about where one of their comrades was. Had he been captured? Was he still alive? Did he escape?

Naara began to hear heavy breathing, but it was not her. Just then, the strangest thing happened. A figure suddenly appeared crouched behind one of the trees only a few meters from her position. He was a small person, shorter than the dwarves, with large, hairy feet. She was low to the ground and the man didn't seem to notice her. He revealed himself to the dwarves, and they rejoiced. Naara, still shocked at what she had just seen, shook it off and began to walk away quickly. She knew of a small woodsy area she could hide. It was behind the home of an old friend of her father's. He was also a skin changer. She figured his home would still be there, although he most likely wasn't. The best she could hope for was that the Orcs hadn't comeback to destroy it after capturing him.

After a long night of keeping a watchful eye over his land, Beorn wearily returns to his home, slowly changing from great beast to tall man. Night after night he does this; his only company is the light winds that blow from the West, whispering in his ears, ruffling his heavy coat. Tonight it brought with it the stench of Wargs and Orcs. As he walks towards his abode, he notices a light flickering in his home. The Dwarves he chased earlier were now resting there, no doubt stinking up the place, he thought.

Finally, he is home. Still exhausted from his long night, he breathes heavily; his large chest puffing out with each inhale. He surveys the small home for a moment, but he is too fatigued to shoo the dwarves away. A shy Hobbit pretends to sleep in the hay; he watches carefully to make sure the large man does not spot him awake. The Hobbit's gaze follows Beorn to a small room, where the tired protector shuts the door and finally rests his head.

Beorn's sensitive ears hear the light steps of a wizard slowly meandering throughout the house. He hears the door open, then creek closed. Refreshed from his nap, he decides to get up to follow the wizard to better understand the reason for the intrusion.

Outside, Gandalf, the Grey wizard, strolls over to the ponies, greeting each one with a gentle pat and a "good morning." Beorn approaches the cheerful wizard. Gandalf turns to look at Beorn, having to look up, for the wizard was barely more than half his height. "Good morning, Gandalf. Did you rest?" he asked, genuinely.

"Oh, yes. Can't complain. We have been on the road many weeks now; there isn't always a comfortable plce to sleep once dawn approaches."

"Right. About your… ergh… company," began Beorn.

"I assure you we will not need but a few days to rest. I do hope you will allow us to."

"I suppose I do owe you a favor for helping me so many years ago."

"Great! Then shall I help with breakfast?"

"No need. Just ask your dwarves to wash at the waterfall. Just follow the path bordered by the blue tulips." With that, Beorn began his morning chores while Gandalf woke the sleeping dwarves from their much needed sleep.


	2. When a Dragon Sneezes

Naara once again woke with her back aching from sleeping up in a tree for the fifth night in a row. Between the scratchy bark and the awkward angle of the branches, it was virtually impossible to find a comfortable enough position. She climbed down the tree, using her sharp, retractable claws to avoid slipping. She parted a bush to reveal a group of hand-made weapons she had hidden; she had fashioned a few spears out of thick, fallen branches and a few arrowheads made of stone. The stone arrowheads she used to cook supper; she would warm large stones on the fire. With no pot to cook her catch in, she used the hide of a deer she had caught a few days before and would fill it with water from the stream that flows East. She would then put the meat of her prey in the water and add the stones as they became warm. This boiled the meat, and after a few hours, she would be able to eat it or dry it out into jerky.*

This morning, the hunt was dry. Not a single edible creature had made its presence known. By mid- day, hope had run dry as well, and all she wanted was to find a place to rest for a moment. Soon she began to hear running water, but it was different from the whisper of the stream; it was as if it was crying, screaming for attention. She came up to a waterfall no more than 10 meters high. The small lake it cascaded into was so clear one could see the rocks and plants at the bottom. She could also see the floor suddenly dropped a few meters ahead and became deeper.

After so many years in the dirty dungeons of Goblin Town, Naara figured she could use a bath. Before going in, she decided to scout the area, not actually expecting anyone to find her, but one can never be too cautious. Once she dubbed the area safe, she removed the sullen and ripped clothing and dove into the fresh water. Immediately, she could see the dirt and grime dissolve off her flesh and her ash skin suddenly became a milky white, like porcelain.

Flowers of all colors and fragrances decorated the edge of the lake. It all seemed so familiar. The trees began dancing in the wind as she floated on her back. She began to hum purposefully, but she didn't really know how she knew the song.

Eventually, she made her way around the edge of the lake and began to gather some flowers. She made her hands hot to make the oils from the flowers mix with the water in her hands. She used the mixture to wash her hair. When she rinsed it in the cascading water the hair tuned from a dull dirt brown to a bright golden blond. She washed her face and body in the same manner.

Once clean, the skin-changer decided to swim around a bit. The relaxing sound of water hitting water put Naara at ease, and she didn't hear the bustling of bushes and the heavy steps of dwarves walking in the direction of the waterfall. Naara inhaled deeply and lightly opened her eyes as she exhaled. Smoke fumed from her nostrils; she was finally relaxed.

Out of the corner of her narrowed eyes, she saw something shift between the trees. She immediately retreated behind the cascading water, hoping it would shield her enough from the unwanted intruders.

Suddenly, three of these strangers jumped out of the woods and in mid-air removed all their clothing before landing in the water. It was three young dwarves that had escaped the goblins. Eventually, more dwarves appeared, the older ones moving slightly slower but no less excited. Naara averted her eyes as well as she could until she was sure they were all submersed. When the only splashing she heard was that of horseplay and not diving, she observed the dwarves and made sure none would get too close.

She could not find a way out; the waterfall was far from any plateau she could climb up to without being noticed. She decided to wait for them to be done; she knew it wouldn't belong long before these dwarves became hungry and would have to leave. Although, now that she thought about it, she could follow them and maybe snag some of their no-doubt plentiful buffet.

Soon, two more figures joined the group. One of them was the strange, hairy-footed creature, and the other was another dwarf. He had a somber expression, half way between worry and determination. She had been in that position before as well. The two sat together in the shade of a tree.

At that moment, some of the pollen from the surrounding flora began to itch her nose. She was ready to sneeze, and when a dragon sneezes, it isn't exactly subtle. She gave in and fire pierced through the waterfall.

Everything was silent for a moment. "What was that?" the youngest of the dwarves finally spoke, though almost inaudible. Naara dared not move from where she was, still slightly hunched from the force of the sneeze. She heard movement and noticed ripples in the water coming faster at her. One of the other young dwarves, blonde and blue-eyed, began to move closer. The hairy-footed creature under the tree put a hand to the hilt of his short-sword and his companion was already up with sword in hand.

"Reveal yourself, creature!" said the clothed dwarf. The young dwarf stopped. Naara stood still. She wanted no trouble from these dwarves. She could easily take them on and escape, but she refused to inflict pain on the innocent. Through the breaks in the pouring water, she could see that the young dwarf was only a few meters away; she could almost touch him. "Now!" yelled the older dwarf. This startled Naara and only made her angry. Smoke fumed from her nostrils, but she calmed down. She folded her arms over her naked breasts and slowly walked through the waterfall, hoping that if she remained submersed, they would not notice her bareness.

There was a slight, unanimous gasp from the intruders. "I mean no harm. I was just bathing. I did not mean to trespass." After the initial shock wore off, most of the dwarves respectfully averted their eyes while encouraging the others to do the same. The Hairy-footed creature brought her a long, blue cloak that his friend had pointed to. They both turned to face away as she hesitantly got out of the water and put it on. She was not timid about her nakedness, the goblins would beat her bare when she "misbehaved," she was only cautious of whether they would use this vulnerability to capture her or maybe kill her. "Thank you" she said, signaling that she was now decent.

The dwarf turned and faced her. "What is your business in these parts?"

"My business is my own. But I assure you I mean no harm," she replied. "Now, if you do not mind, I will find my clothes, return your cloak and be on my way." She began to walk away, but he put his arm out in front of her to prevent her from walking past him.

"Are you travelling alone?" he asked with a curious look in his eyes. Naara nodded. His eyes now had a hint of worry. "Which direction are you travelling? Maybe we can escort you part of the way. It is dangerous out here for now, especially for lonely travelers." She gave him an inquisitive look. "There is a house up the road a ways; I'm sure our host would not mind a guest for the night." Naara's eyes brightened.

"A house? down the road?" she asked, excited that her friend, Beorn, might actually be alive.

"Yes," began another dwarf. He had covered himself with his cloak and was now walking towards them. his long white beard was still dripping wet and seemed heavy on his chin. "We can probably take care of some of those wounds, too." He was referring to the lash wounds from the whips. She looked around at each dwarf and could see in their eyes they would be no threat; and she could see they had questions for her, but were too nervous to ask.

"Alright, then," she responded, looking at the older dwarf and smiling. "I'll come with."

"Splendid!" he laughed. "Balin," he bowed deeply, "at your service."


	3. Xalanth the Insane

"Gandalf," Beorn said suddenly as he stirred the pot, "you travel far and wide; tell me, have you encountered anyone who is, you know… like me?" The wizard broke his pensive stare to turn to look at Beorn. He slowly got up from his pew and walked toward the large man.

"My dear fellow," Gandalf said with a sigh, "unfortunately, no I have not. And if any one of them had survived, or, much less, escaped, they would probably be hiding. Azog may have put aside his sport to pursue a hunt for our dwarf king, but he would no sooner retire than you would leave this beautiful garden." Beorn did not look at him; he simply continued stirring the pot. Gandalf took the wooden spoon from him and tasted the stew. "This is good, Beorn," he said, looking up at the man with a slight smile; soon it faded, as the wizard realized complimenting Beorn on his cooking would not shake his mind off of his solitude.

"Sometimes I wonder if I should be looking for them. At other times, I am sure it would be a waste of time. I only wish Sonneth were still alive."

"Ah, yes. Sonneth. Champion of the Skies."

"He wasn't a particularly attractive man. Short, he was, and he had rough features. He reminded me of a dwarf." Beorn walked to the window. "But once he transformed into that white dragon, he was the most majestic and beautiful creature I had ever seen. He was such a dear friend of mine"

"Until Xalanth came around," the wizard chuckled. Beorn returned the chuckle and smiled at the thought of Xalanth, a black dragon from the darkest part of Middle Earth, Ephel Duath, the Mountains of Shadows. "I remember you saying that she was beautiful as a dragon and even more so in her human form. That her beauty challenged that of your own garden."

"Yes," Beorn remembered. His expression changed from a euphoric one to one of pain. "But she was sly, and deceitful. She won my heart while Sonneth was away, warning the others of Azog and his plans to capture and kill skin changers. She promised herself to me. Then, she left to help Sonneth. She returned months later, unable to continue her quest. She was pregnant. I was thrilled, but heart broken when she had told me that Sonneth had been captured. When the child was born, I could tell in her eyes that she was not my own. In her first year, she transformed for the first time. She transformed into a blue dragon.

"That same day, Sonneth returned to our village. It was like a dream I had had. I did not greet him with affection, as most friends would, but with a hard kick to the chest. He fell and we began our quarrel. When the smoke cleared and we had caused enough suffering to one another, he told me he had not been captured; Xalanth had told him that our village had been attacked, so he had gone to rescue us, but he found nothing in the Wold but an empty wasteland. Sonneth believed I was angered by his abandonment, until I presented him to Naara, his daughter. He was so happy to know he was a father. I then asked him why he felt he had to take Xalanth from me; to which he responded that had he known she was promised to me, he would not have given himself to her.

"Upon hearing this, I turned to look at Xalanth, but she was already many miles away, flying through the sky toward the Orc camps. She had promised herself to Sonneth so that we would fight each other. Then… she promised herself to that repulsive pale orc. We hid and the village helped us raise Naara. Sonneth would leave for long periods of time to help the villages farther away, so most times she stayed with me.

"We could have worked together, Sonneth and I; prevented all the pain caused to our people. But we were blinded. They began to hunt us. Eventually he found us through his spy, Xalanth the Insane. Sonneth saved my life when I was ensnared in a bear trap. Unfortunately, I was unable to return the favor; he took his own life when he found out his daughter had been taken. He found her wings in the forest where they would set us loose to play 'hunter.' She was the only light in his life, and now she was dead. What he didn't realize was that they both were the only light in mine."

Gandalf looked at the broken man and sighed. "I am sorry, Beorn. I did not realize all of that had happened. Have you heard of Xalanth since?"

Beorn grunted and turned to the wizard. "No, and do not speak of her!" Gandalf was slightly taken back at his reaction. Beorn turned to the door and sniffed. "I smell someone."

Gandalf cautiously took his gaze off of the wizard to look out the window. In the distance he could see the group of dwarves walking back to the house. "I imagine dwarves smell a lot better after bathing, if not like new people."

"No, this is different. I smell something much more familiar…" Both the wizard and Beorn walked outside, cautious at first. When the dwarves came closer, another figure was visibly among them. Naara looked towards the house as she laughed at a joke that Bofur was telling and suddenly stopped. Her smile faded and her eyes grew wide. Her breath stopped. The dwarves stopped andasked her what was wrong. She slowly began to walk forward and under her breath she whispered Beorn's name, the man who had been like a father to her. He immediately recognized her as well, though she was older and even more gorgeous then he remembered. He began to walk towards her, then he began to run, then he was sprinting. She began to run towards him as well and when they finally met, he picked her up and held her close.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she said softly, holding back tears. Beorn held her tighter.

"I will never let anyone take you away from me again."


End file.
